from rice fields to sea jangker dance

Before the tourism took over Bali, fishing and agriculture was the main source of living for Balinese. People on high grounds focused on farming while the coastal locals blended farming with fishing. It was also a mean to socialize with the friends and family while working at the farms and the sea. As a culture many dances and music arrangements are created during the lunch hours or short breaks as they sit together enjoying the delicacies brought from home.

One of the dance that is still performed today is Janger, some modern touch has been added to it by different choreographers making it a dance to fit the modern era. As the soul remains, it's a dance of youth performed by a group of boys and group of girls. 

Janger is a combination of singing and dancing, and spiced up with flirtatious routines in between. Usually the performance depicts a love story, but sometime they also insert important social message into the lyrics.

I Ketut Merdana, a dancer from the Buleleng Regency – the north part of the island positioned between the rolling hills and sparkling ocean – lives in the area where the ocean is part of a local’s life. Merdana was inspired by the visuals of fishermen going about their business on their boats. In 1960, he created a dance that continues to make his hometown proud, Nelayan Dance (fishermen dance).